NAI Names UK in Top 100 for US University Patents + EWA Expands to Scotland

INNOVATION INSIDER

March 2026

CATS AI in Action Highlights AI Innovation at UK

UK x Microsoft: CATS AI in Action brought together faculty, students, industry partners and community members for a dynamic, campus-wide showcase. The event featured interactive engagement zones highlighting how AI is advancing education, research, health care and operations across campus.

Ian McClure, vice president for innovation, UK HealthCare and associate vice president for research, innovation and economic impact and co-lead of CATS AI alongside Heath Price, helped open the event, speaking to the importance of UK’s growing partnership with Microsoft and the role of CATS AI in aligning efforts across campus. UK Innovate also hosted a dedicated booth connecting attendees to innovation resources and partnership opportunities. The event reflected the strength of collaboration across campus and the expanding impacts of AI across the Commonwealth.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CATS AI

Estate Whiskey Alliance Expands to Scotland with Ballindalloch Distillery

The Estate Whiskey Alliance (EWA) reached a major milestone with its expansion into Scotland, welcoming Ballindalloch Distillery as its first member outside continental North America. Known for its single-estate model and commitment to growing, distilling and bottling whisky entirely on-site, Ballindalloch exemplifies the principles at the core of the estate whiskey movement.

READ MORE IN UKNOW

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT

SOCRATIC TUTOR

Socratic Tutor is an AI-powered platform that turns static documents into dynamic, personalized learning experiences. Using advanced AI, it guides learners through reasoning, generates high-quality questions and adapts in real time to improve outcomes. Built for rapid deployment and scale, the cloud-based system requires no local infrastructure and integrates seamlessly with existing learning environments. From medical and legal education to workforce training and certification programs, Socratic Tutor enables institutions to deliver precision education while gaining actionable insights into learner performance.

Interested in bringing Socratic Tutor to your organization? Complete the interest form to learn more about licensing opportunities.

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STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Sabrina Darnell Receives TechPipeline Impact Award for Excellence in Financial Operations

Sabrina Darnell, finance and compliance officer at UK Innovate, received the TechPipeline Impact Award for Excellence in Financial Operations. Selected through a nationally competitive nomination process, the award recognizes her essential contributions to financial operations supporting and strengthening the university’s innovation ecosystem.

UPCOMING EVENTS

GAME Change Summit #6

Date: June 16, 2026

Time: 9AM - 4PM ET

Location: The Lightwell, Covington KY

Join GAME Change and its partners at Summit #6. This one-day event brings together leaders from industry, academia and the public sector to advance real-world circular economy solutions. Focused on circular supply chains, resilient infrastructure and scalable manufacturing, the Summit offers a unique opportunity to connect, collaborate and turn innovative ideas into action.

LEARN MORE & RSVP

OPPORTUNITIES

Apply for the GAME Change I-Corps Accelerator

Applications are now open for the Mid-South I-Corps GAME Change Accelerator, a virtual program for early-stage teams working in advanced manufacturing, supply chain innovation, materials development and circular economy solutions.

Selected teams will receive customer discovery training, mentorship and industry feedback to help validate demand and strengthen their commercialization pathway.

Applications close April 17, 2026.

APPLY HERE